Cloth-cutting machine.



No. 767,076. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. (3'. D. MATTISON. CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 26. 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS- 831311 1.

No. 767,076. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. C. D. MATTISON. CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

m mlummnlll IIIIIIINII IIIIIIIII' Suva/n bet I Chas. I). Mattison/ $51 [01 Cute anew UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,076, dated August 9, 1904.

Application filed December 26, 1902. Serial No. 136,540.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. MAITISON,

a citizen of the-United States, and a resident of Hasbrouck Heights, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth- Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cloth-cutting machines of that class adapted for cutting a plurality of thicknesses of cloth at a single operation; and its main objects are to provide a cloth-cutter which can be directed easily without tiring the operator, to reduce the weight of the machine and the vibration of the working parts to a minimum without reducing the power used to operate the cutter and without sacrificing strength, and to mount the cutter in such a manner that its angular position can be changed instantaneously without appreciable efi'ort to enable the cutter to follow closely the pattern-line along which the cloth is to be cut.

One of the principal features that distin guishes my improved cloth-cutter from others now in use is the mounting ofthe cutter and associated parts on a base in such a manner as to be capable of turning on saidbase in a horizontal plane without moving the base itself.

In carrying my invention into effect the stand by which the operating parts are usually supported is pivoted on a suitable base, a ball-bearing being preferably interposed between the base and the stand in order that the stand and the working parts carried thereon may turn on the base with the least possible friction.

In the preferred construction the stand sup ports a reciprocating or vibrating cross-head, to which the cutter is connected, this crosshead being connected with a rotary member by means of a crank connection. As it is important in machines of this type to keep the movements of the working parts in perfect balance, I make use of a second cross-head movable in the same path as the first, but in the opposite direction and preferably connected with the rotary member by a crank connection diametrically opposite the first,

(No model.)

and the use of these balanced cross-heads is also one of the main features of the invention.

In addition to the features just described. I employ a pair of cutting-blades capable of cutting piles of cloth of abnormal thickness, one of which blades has a shearing edge that fills the slot in the base through which the cutter passes, and I also provide a manuallyoperable device for turning the main rotary member when the parts are on the dead-center and the main mechanism is ineffective. These and other features of the invention not hereinbefore referred to are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cloth-eutting machine constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the casing closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the casing open to illustrate the cutter and its operating and balancing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional details of the independent manually-operated device for turning the main rotary member.

In carrying my invention into effect I pro vide a suitable base 2 of the usual circular type having a sloping face to permit it to be shifted readily under a pile of cloth, and on this base I support a stand or post, such as 3,which carries the cutter and its operating mechanism. Instead of securing the stand to the base in a fixed position, however, as is customary, I pivot the stand so that it can turn on the base in a horizontal plane, a ball-bearing being preferably interposed between these parts. In the present construction I have shown a wide bearing which is formed by a cup 4 of considerable size, the upper surface of which is continuous with that of the base proper. usual type, between which and a complementary ball-race formed in the base a circuit of balls is placed. The base 2, as shown,has a large central opening with an inwardly-projecting ring 5, the upper and lower faces. of which constitute a pair of ball-races for the row of balls before mentioned and for a second row of balls parallel therewith, these two sets of balls being indicated by 6 and 7. The balls? This ball-cup has a ball-race of the '5 I ment of the cutter, and the balanced crossrest on an adjusting cap or washer 8, having a suitable race, and by means'of this cap the bearing may be kept tight to prevent tipping of the stand on the base without impeding the free horizontal oscillation of said stand.

The stand 3 is preferably a stiff steel bar securely fastened at its lower end in the ballcup 4 and having a guide-slot 9, in which the cutter works. At its upper end this stand or bar 3 supports the other movable and fixed parts of the machine. The principal working parts are a motor for transmitting power to the cutter and connections between this motor and the cutter. The motor proper is mounted in this construction on a casing containing these intermediate connections,and the pistonrod of the motor, which is of the reciprocating type, extends through the top of the casing and is connected to the cutter-bar. The casing is designated by 10 and at its under side is securely fastened to the upper end of the stand or bar 3, so as to be as rigid as possible in the plane of the force exerted.

The motor employed is preferably a compressed air motor, because the maximum amount of power required for cutting a large number of thicknesses of cloth can be obtained from such a motor without increasing the speed of operation and without materially increasing the weight of the machine by simply increasing the areasof the piston and its cylinder. This compressed-air motor is designated generally by 11 and is of a well-known type. Its piston-rod 12 is secured at its lower end to a cross-head 13, which is mounted to slide up and down in the casing 10 between the inner side walls of said casing. The reciprocating or vibrating movement of this cross-head is here converted into a rotary motion in the usual manner that is to say, by

' means of a crank connection to a rotary mem- I of a strap-rod 19, connected with an eccentric secured to the rotary member. This fly-wheel assures steadiness and regularity of moveheads 13 and 17 reduce the vibration of the machine to a minimum when the cutter is running at full speed.

The cutting member which I prefer to employ is in the form of a cutter bar or shank 20, having a pair of cutting-blades or cutters proper, 21 and 22, projecting therefrom. For cutting a pile of cloth of ordinary thickness a single cutting-blade usually suffices; but when the pile is of exceptional depth it is necessary to employ two cutters, one of which cuts the upper layers of cloth and the other the lower thicknesses. The upper blade may be of the ordinary construction; but the lower cutter 22 preferably has at the heel of its cutting-surfacea square shearing edge adapted to completely fill the cutter-slot in the ball-cup of the base. Loosely-woven materials frequently show frayed edges when severed by an ordinary knife-edged cutter; but these threads are trimmed off by the square edge of the lower cutter at the point 23, and the result is a clean cut. This shear also keeps the cutter-slot in the ball-cup clear.

As a simple and convenient means for securing the cutter-bar in detachable connection with the cross-head 13 I have provided a clamping device (designated generally by 30) which coacts with an extension 13 of the cross-head for clamping the upper end of the cutter-bar in fixed connection therewith, the said clamping device in the present case being in the form of a screw-bolt, which is tapped or threaded into the cross-head, and the cutter-bar having an open-ended slot 14 in its rear side to receive the stem of said screw-bolt, on which it is adapted to be detachably retained between the clamping-surfaces formed by the head of the said screw-bolt and the adjacent cross-head. A lever-handle 30 on the said screw-bolt serves as a means to turn or operate the same, and so enable the cutterbar to be clamped and unclamped without the aid of a screw-driver or other similar tool, the open slot in the rear of the cutter-bar permitting the ready removal or replacing of the same subsequent to its release by the clamping device. As it is desirable that the leverhandle of the clamping device should turn back in contact with the cross-head 13 when in normal clamping position, as in Figs. 2 and 3, I have secured the same in adjustable connection with the head of the bolt by passing one end around the said head in the form of a loop and clamping the same thereon by means of a screw 30. This enables the clamping device to be adjusted for cutter-bars of different thicknesses. For instance, if the cut ter-bar were removed and a thicker one substituted the lever-handle obviously could not be turned back to the same position, and it would therefore be necessary to adjust the position of the lever on the bolt accordingly. During the operation of a cloth-cutting machine the pile of cloth is usually held down by a presser-foot of suitable construction. In my improved machine I mount the presserfoot on a door 25, which closes the front of the casing 10 when the machine is in operation, and this presser-foot may therefore be swung out of the way of the knife by swinging open this door. The presser-foot shown is designated by 26, is properly slotted to permit the cutters to move therethrough, and is carried at the lower end of a slotted shank or bar 27, adjustable to any desired vertical position and adapted to be clamped in place by a clamp-screw 28. This mode of mounting the presser-foot is a great convenience, as it permits the cutter-bar to be unclamped from the cross-head 13 without requiring a separate operation for removing the presser-foot.

As is well known, the movement of the cutter in a machine of this type is occasionally checked by the stopping of the crank or cranks on the dead-center even though a flywheel is employed. In order to start the machine again when this occurs, I have shown herein an independent manually-operated meansfor turning the rotary member of the machine to a point where the power mechanism will become effective to drive said member again. The means shown embodies a ratchet-wheel and a pawl and lever for turning the wheel. The fly-wheel in this case has ratchet-teeth cut in one side thereof and constitutes the ratchet-wheel. The

, lever is pivoted at 32 at the back of the casing and is designated by 33. Said lever is divided at its end to receive a pawl 34, which is normally pressed toward the ratchet-teeth 31 by a spring 35. This pawl also has at its outer side a cam-face 36, which cooperates with a fixed face or pin 37 on the casing, the parts being, so organized that when the lever 33 is pushed down the pawl is pushed into engagement with the ratchet, while on the return of the lever to its usual position by means of the spring 33' the pin 37 shifts the pawl away from the ratchet-wheel and holds it in an inoperative position while the power mechanism is operating properly.

Even under the most favorable conditions the movement of the cutters is so rapid that they become heated, and it is desirable to employ some means for cooling them. For this reason I have shown at 40 a pipe leading from the exhaust-port of the motor and ending in a Y, the arms 41 of which are so placed as to dis charge the exhaust-air against the sides of the cutters and their guides and keep the same cool.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my improved cloth-cutter can be manipulated by means of the usual single handle 42 with but slight fatigue to the operator, because not only is the weight of the machine reduced to the minimum, but the work required to turn the device is similarly reduced, the slightest touch being suflicient to turn the stand and the cutters on the ballbearing of the base and keep the cutters close to the line of the pattern.

What I claim is V 1. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a rotary member and with means for rotating the same, of a pair of oppositely-dis posed crank pins connected to said member, a pair of oppositely-reciprocatory balanced cross-heads connected with said crank-pins, and a cutter secured to one of said crossheads.

2. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base, of a stand pivoted to turn on said base, a rotary member mounted on said stand, means for rotating said member, apair of oppositely-reciprocatory cross-heads also supported on said stand and connected with said rotary member, and a cutter secured to one of said cross-heads.

3. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base, of a stand pivoted to turn on said base, a rotary member mounted on said stand, a motor also mounted on said stand, a pair of oppositely reciprocatory balanced cross-heads also supported on said stand .and connected with said rotary member, and a cutter secured to one of said cross-heads.

4. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base having a cutter-slot therein, of a stand mounted on said base, a reciprocatory cutter mounted on said stand and having the heel portion of its cutting-surface formed with a square shearing edge which is movable through the cutter-slot in said base.

5. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base having a cutter-slot therein,

'of a stand mounted on said base and having cutterguides, a reciprocatory cutter bar mounted to slide between said guides, and a cutter carried by said cutter-bar in an operative position forward of the cutter-guides and having the heel portion of its cutting-surface formed with a square shearing edge movable through the cutter-slot in said base.

6. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base, of a stand mounted on said base, a reciprocatory cutter mounted on said stand, a compressed-air motor also supported on said stand and operatively connected with said cutter,and cutter-cooling means in communication with the exhaust port of said. motor.

7. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base, of a stand mounted on said base and supporting a casing, a door for said casing, cutter-actuating mechanism in said casing, a reciprocatory cutter movable through said casing, and a presser-foot mounted on the front of and swinging with said door and having a cutter-guiding slot therein.

8. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with abase, of a stand mounted on said base, a reciprocatory cutter mounted on said stand, a rotary member connected with said cutter, power-actuated means for turning said rotary member, and independent manually operated means for turning said rotary mem ber.

9. In a cloth-cutting machine, the combination with a base, of a stand mounted on said base, a reciprocatory cutter mounted on said.

stand, a rotary member connected with Said cutter, power actuated means for turning said rotary member, a ratchet-wheel secured to said rotary member, and a pawl and lever operative for turning said ratchet-wheel and normally out of engagement therewith.

10. In a cloth-cutting machine,the combination with a reciprocatory cross-head, of a cutter-bar connected therewith and having an open-ended slot to receive a part of the same, and a clamping device for securing the cutterbar in detachable connection with the crosshead, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a cloth-cuttingmachine,the combination with a reciprocatory cross-head, of a cutter-bar connected therewith, and a clamping device for securing the cutter-bar in detachable connection with the cross head, said clamping device having an adjustable leverhandle, for the purpose set forth.

12. In a cloth-cutter, a base formed in two parts, a circular center to which the standard of the machine is connected, and an annular rim within which the circular center is revolubly secured, the division between the parts extending through the base from its upper to its lower surface, substantially as described.

13. In a cloth-cutter, a base formed in two parts, a central part to which the standard of CHARLES D. MATTISON.

l/Vitnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE, HERBERT E. DANE. 

